~ fighting dogma from behind the lines…

TLC’s Breaking Amish: Episode 3 Brings us Fewer Lies

I thought I was done writing about Breaking Amish. Turns out, it just doesn’t feel right to stop now. Episode 3 was pretty boring for me. There are significantly fewer lies in this episode but the false implications (e.g. just leaving the Amish, experiencing these things for the first time, etc.) remain. I wonder if somebody in some production studio had to work overtime rewriting the episode because of the huge backlash against the show.

The first thing I noticed was the absence of the written introduction. When the first two episodes played on TV, one of the first frames showed the line, “They’ll leave their community for the first time”. That introduction is gone in episode 3 and I thank TLC for that.

In this episode, Jeremiah drives a car under the watchful eye of an instructor. He makes a grand show of being an inexperienced driver and even knocks over a traffic cone to complete the illusion. Jeremiah says that he has driven before but only on country roads. Lie! I know for a fact that Jeremiah has driven quite a bit in a city with a population of more than 50,000 people. While it might not have been NYC, it was definitely more than a country road. I know this fact because I saw it with my own eyes and I could find a dozen witnesses who would agree with me. He drove just fine then and that was about four or five years ago. I suspect that he got to that city by driving more than a thousand miles on the interstate highway system.

That was the only outright lie that I caught on last night’s episode (definitely a significant drop in the number of lies) but there are plenty of false implications there that are just not explicitly voiced. The implication is still there that these kids are leaving the Amish for the first time (well, except for Jeremiah who admits to being kicked out of the Amish three times already), and experiencing these “English” things for the first time.

As for TLC’s promise to bring light to the controversy… well, I didn’t see any in this episode. There are no explanations for the lies that we’ve uncovered. All that TLC gives us in this episode is several allusions to an explanation. These are when Jeremiah admits that he’s been kicked out of the Amish three times already and when he reveals that he’s worn “English” clothes before.

In this episode, Kate and Rebecca visit a modeling agency and they are asked pose in swimsuits. Rebecca tells us, “I believe in modesty, and spreading yourself out for the world to see you naked, that is not modesty to me, at all.” It sounds like she’s talking about a Penthouse spread but from the context I think she’s talking about wearing a swimsuit. Check out this photo taken about two years before filming began and judge for yourself whether Rebecca is really too modest to wear a swimsuit. Click to enlarge.

I found the original on Facebook and it was uploaded on June 12, 2010 so the date on the photo is accurate.

In this episode, Rebecca’s grandfather visits her in New York City. This man is quite a bit heavier than the grandfather that Rebecca chased into the house back in episode one. Sources tell us that this second grandfather really is her grandfather but the first one was not. Funny thing is, both grandfathers say the exact same sentence with voices that sound exactly the same to me. I think the same soundbite might have been used for both people.

The only other gripe I have with this episode is the rude and cruel language used by some of the cast. Rebecca likens the French lady from the modeling agency to a heel-biting Chihuahua. Jeremiah says he would have told his mom to get the f*** out. These are the words of a-holes no matter what the cultural background.

The one part of this episode that I liked was the reference to Amish home cooking when Abe and his mom are chatting in the restaurant. Amish home cooking really is the best. You won’t find a better pie, or better mashed potatoes, or even better cereal, than what my Amish mom makes.

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36 thoughts on “TLC’s Breaking Amish: Episode 3 Brings us Fewer Lies”

As always an excellent review! Please don’t stop as I so enjoy reading your blog posts. I also have to agree that the Amish foods I’ve eaten at The Dutch Eating Place at Reading Terminal Market is so good! Their mashed potatoes are amazing as is their turkey, sloppy joes…you name it it’s great!

Well, there are a couple things that stood out for me in this epidose that seems to support all your reseach. One was the child that Abe’s family brought with them is about the age that Abe and Rebecca’s child would be. Rebecca also turned off her mike and covered her mouth with her key card when confronted by her Grandfather.

Now, Amish food is good. I’ve eaten at Good and Plenty, Plain and Fancy, and the Amish Barn many times. However, my mother is Polish/German and makes the best mashed potatoes I’ve ever eaten. She also makes a Chocolate Cream Pie that makes love with your tounge. :o)

Been enjoying reading your blog on this, it’s been interesting to watch TLC try to save face, I have a feeling that there’s a lot of scrambling going on over there. Curiously, this page popped up last week on Facebook and smells fishy, I wonder who the admins are https://www.facebook.com/BreakingAmishCastSupporters

My wife and I were wondering while watching this episode if Jeremiah’s tattoo was in fact new, or if the camera shots obtained were merely of a touch up appointment (all of the in-progress shots showed a nearly complete tattoo). Of course, we have no way of knowing for certain, but your blog has helped us watch the show with the eyes of skeptics, and that scene lept out at us. Thanks for the valuable insights and research!

Before I knew that he would be getting a tattoo on Breaking Amish, I heard that he had a tattoo for years. I would say there’s a very good chance that what they did was just a touch up or an expansion of the tattoo. Note that they never say it’s his first tattoo. That’s just silently implied.

Ah, they never explicitly say it’s his first tattoo? Nice catch, I assumed they did. Will have to go back and rewatch the segment. But you’re right, strong silent implications if it’s never explicitly said. Especially the way the rest of the group reacts to it when shown.

Having seena lot of tatto work over the years and watching the episode I say that he was getitng a touchup. I noticed the swelling changed from time to time which leads me to think the showing of the tat was doen in different sequence. There is no way that a fresh tattoo would have had so little swelling. ALso when the artist is appllying the black you can see thqt there is already colour there beside the new area being tattoooed! Quite often on a large tat you go back for colour after the outline has healed up,

I agree, don’t stop now! I have always been fascinated with the Amish culture and have a PA Dutch background on my grandfathers side. Growing up we always took trips to Lancaster, PA. Which is about an hour away from me. I have much respect for the people there. When I saw previews I was so excited to watch and learn more. I quickly realized I wasn’t going to learn much factual info. Such a disappointment. The show reminds me of a bad rerun of Jersey Shore. I have learned more about the Amish culture from your blog than I ever would from this show. I look forward to reading more. Thanks!!! :)

I also wanted to add that Rebecca’s hair looked dyed in episode 3. It looks about 3 different colors. I’m assuming dying your hair is not accepted in the Amish community bc it’s considered vein. The dye job appears to be growing out , not freshly done.

In Episode 3, I like when Abe and Jeremiah are talking to Abes mom, the pack of Camel Menthol Smokes on the nightstand, then when Jeremiah goes into the first clothing store, he gives the clerk a handshake that I am guess is not Amish ;)

Also, if we check Google SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages) and narrow by date ranges we find that this page first displayed on Google SERPs on Sept. 18, 2012. That indicates that these pictures aren’t useful as evidence against any statement made by Breaking Amish about the casts’ past life but it’s an interesting find nonetheless. It looks like Kate is realizing her dreams. Good for her!

Picture of Rebecca and Abe with baby……check out her teeth. comments posted saying pic could have been taken after they “met” on the show. Nope she is 20 now and had teeth pulled at 19. Gotcha lying jerk faces!

I was so excited for this show in hopes to learn more about the Amish and get a peek into their world. But sadly, it is not real but scripted. As is with many “reality” shows these days. I think these shows generate so much interest is because they show a glimpse into another world and as people we are always fascinated by how other people live, day to day.

As someone that lives in LA as a struggling actor, I see casting calls for “reality” shows all the time. The entire US viewing audience needs to realize that every reality show is staged to some extent, whether it’s 10 % or 100%.
But NO SHOW NOWADAYS IS REALITY. Execs think no one would watch that. So they edit the shows in dramatic ways. If you’re mad that it’s fake, DON’T F****** WATCH IT. They’ll stop making the show

First of all…thank you for all of this work! I was skeptical (this is tv, after all) at first, but this is all just TOO MUCH!
I was just on another facebook page about this show and all the alleged lies and saw that Sabrina and her friend from the first episode may have also been on a NatGeo show about the Amish. I haven’t been able to access any videos from this show, but can anyone confirm this? I can’t find/access videos from that show (my internet is iffy and my computer has an attitude lately, haha), but I would love to know if this is true.
Here is the page with the information that I am referring to:

* Also, this whole scandal spurred an interest for me in the Amish culture. I live just outside of Philadelphia, so they have always been a culture that seems very close and very far away at the same time. I appreciate some of the documentary/program suggestions that were given in some of the posts/comments on your site. If anyone has any suggestions for more documentaries of relative truthiness, I would appreciate them! (I am a huge documentary geek and am in sponge mode with this topic right now!)

**I hope it was ok to post that link. I did that “(DOT)” thing that some sites require just in case. I’m not sure of the policy here, but I thought that I would give it a shot.

I have to admit, as much as I hate the lying and the way these people are acting and talking, it’s like a car wreck where you just have to slow down to look. Curiosity and the cat notwithstanding, I now have to watch so I can dissect every little action. I really hope you -xamishatheist – keep posting your thoughts on the show, I’m enjoying them immensely.

My favorite moments in Episode 3 were Jeremiah’s driving lesson and the way he was gawking at women while driving by. What a dork! I wonder if these people realize what a joke they truly are.

Something about the show seemed Off to me, so I decided to meander around online doing a little research, and I happened upon a link to your blog from the Breaking Amish thread on twop. After reading your posts (you’re awesome, thank you) I decided to stop watching the show for good. I can’t support a show in any way that takes no responsibility for spreading false information about a community and misleading it’s audience – and it’s especially apparent to me the way it seems to portray the Amish in a completely negative and biased light.

TLC should take this show off the air…Some of the stuff is so unbelievable. I live in PA.. am very close friends with Amish families and this show isn’t right at all…. Yes I will say that every church distric has it own rules even each state is differant then each other in dress, what color buggy they drive to the rules of there church distric. But these 4 people are making the Amish life sound so bad… With being so close to my Amish friends I have attended there church services, a wedding, went to see children school programs.. I have slept many of times at their homes. I believe that TLC should have done more reseach on the Amish faith and the communities before doing this reality show… I have so much respect and admire the Amish believes that the English as we are called can learn from them… I am so glad that I found this blog that I can finally experise how this show bothers me so much. I watch it and laugh because it is so unbelievable and wonder where they came up with it.

I was flipping through the channels and saw that the show is now labeled as “new” they have extended editions showing. I missed the first episode before but on this one Kate mentions she wants to get away from the stress back home from her dui and she wants to try modeling. Was this in the first episode or are they rushing to throw things in to cover their behinds?

Not saying this isn’t true, because much if it probably is, but there’s something amiss with that pool picture. The inside crook of Rebecca’s arm closest to the next girl… there is beige filled in there, shouldn’t it be blue pool water? Looks like some Photoshopping, but I’m not sure the reasoning…